Battery Dance Presents The 37th Annual Battery Dance Festival

Battery Dance, in association with Battery Park City Authority, announces the 37th Annual Battery Dance Festival, with free performances on August 12-17, 2018, from 7pm to 9pm against the breathtaking backdrop of the New York Harbor at Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park in Battery Park City, culminating in a closing event and reception on August 18, 2018, from 6pm to 8pm at The Schimmel Center at Pace University. For more information, visit http://batterydance.org/battery-dance-festival/. Tickets for August 18 will be available beginning 8/1.

Established by Battery Dance in 1982 the Battery Dance Festival (BDF) is New York City's longest-running free public dance festival. Audiences are traditionally drawn from the large downtown working population and residents, families, tourists, senior citizens and dance fans from the greater NYC metropolitan area. Each year, the Festival attracts a combined audience of over 12,000 people.

The Battery Dance Festival provides a unique opportunity for both established and emerging dance companies to present original works of high artistic merit in a free public forum. BDF revels in the panoply of dance that our city offers, with strong emphasis on the inclusion of diverse dance styles and an international roster of performers. American choreographers such as Michelle Dorrance, Robert Battle, Jacqulyn Buglisi and Elisa Monte have all presented their works alongside pre-eminent companies from Asia, Europe, South America, Africa and the Caribbean.

"Having the opportunity to perform and teach around the world, it is only natural that we would bring back to our home in lower Manhattan the amazing treasures we discover overseas," said Jonathan Hollander, artistic director of Battery Dance. "With countries from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America this summer, we will celebrate and explore vibrant forms of dance in a setting that represents New York's history as a destination for immigrants." This year's featured artists include the best of New York City as well as dancers from Botswana, Canada, Gabon, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Spain, Turkey and a collection of India's greatest Kathak dancers.

Anuj Mishra, Kantika Mishra and Neha Singh (Lucknow, India) Ariel Rivka Dance Asya Zlatina and Dancers AThomasProject Ballet Nepantla Battery Dance Calpulli Mexican Dance Company Caterina Rago Dance Company Cie Paranoyak (Gabon) Citadel + Compagnie (Toronto, Canada) DANAKA | Dana Katz Damir Tasmagambetov (Kazakhstan) Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company Douglas Dunn + Dancers Hivewild Iker Karrera Jamal Jackson Dance Company JOIN Ensemble Levent Soy and Omer Ongun (Turkey) Mophato Dance Theater (Botswana) Parul Shah Dance Company Piyush Chauhan and Preeti Sharma (New Delhi, India) Sandip Mallick (Kolkata, India) Skopje Dance Theater (Macedonia)

Support for the 2018 Battery Dance Festival American Express, Lead Sponsor; Public Funds have been provided by New York State Council on the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and New York City Councilmember Margaret Chin's Office. Generous sponsorship provided by Goldman Sachs, Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Consulate General of India in New York, Canada Council, Consulate General of Spain in New York, Spain Arts and Culture, First National Bank Botswana, Botswana Tourism Organization, Ministry of Culture of Gabon, Gabon Federation of Urban Dance, Ministry of Culture of Macedonia, Weill Cornell Medicine.

Battery Dance created its outdoor festival in 1982 as part of its engagement with its home community of lower Manhattan where it has been based since its founding in 1976. As one of America's leading cultural ambassadors, Battery Dance connects the world through dance. The Company pursues artistic excellence and social relevance by creating vibrant new works, performing on the world's stages, presenting dance in public spaces, serving the field of dance and teaching people of all ages with special attention to the disadvantaged and areas of conflict. Battery Dance is committed to enhancing the cultural vibrancy of its home community in New York City, extending programming throughout the U.S., and building bridges worldwide through international cultural exchange with programs in 70 countries to date. www.batterydance.org